A level Geography Paper 1 - Coastal systems and landscapes (Questions and Answers A+ Graded 100% Verified)

A level Geography Paper 1 - Coastal systems and landscapes (Questions and Answers A+ Graded 100% Verified) What is a system? ANSWER: A set of interrelated components working together towards some kind of process. What is an open system? ANSWER: Where matter and energy can be transferred from the system across and beyond the boundary into the surrounding environment. What is a closed system? ANSWER: These have transfers of energy both into and beyond the system boundary but not transfer of matter What is an isolated system? ANSWER: No interactions with anything outside the system boundary. No input or output of energy or matter What is dynamic equilibrium? ANSWER: The balanced state of a system when it's inputs and outputs are equal. If one element changes because of an external influence, this affects the internal equilibrium and affects other components of the system. By a process of feedback, the system adjusts to the change and regains equilibrium. What is positive feedback? ANSWER: Where the effects of an action are amplified or multiplied by subsequent or secondary knock-on effects. What is negative feedback? ANSWER: Where the effects of an action are nullified by its subsequent knock-on effects. What are the four coastal zones; explain each. ANSWER: -Backshore: Area between high water mark (HWM) and the landward limit of marine activity. Changes normally take place here only during storm activity. -Foreshore: Area lying between HWM and the low watermark (LWM). Most important to marine processes in times that are not influenced by the storm. -Inshore: Area between LWM and the point where the waves cease to have any influence on the land beneath. -Offshore: Area beyond the point where waves cease to impact upon the seabed and in which activity is limited to depositions of sediments Give the inputs, components and outputs in a coastal environment. ANSWER: Inputs: - Energy from wind, waves, tides & sea currents - Sediment from rivers, cliff erosion, wind, LSD - Geology of the coastline - Sea level change Components: -Erosional and depositional coastal landforms Flows/transfers: - Erosion - Weathering - Mass movement -LSD Outputs: - Dissipation of wave energy - Accumulation of sediment above the tidal limit - Sediment removed beyond local sediment cells Explain wind as an input of energy in a coastal system. ANSWER: - Prevailing wind direction: controls the direction waves approach the coastline + direction of transport of material in the coastal zone - Fetch: Distance of open water which a wind blows. Length of fetch helps determines magnitude + energy of waves reaching the coast - Frictional drag: Waves are created by transfer of energy from wind blowing over the sea surface - Wind can pick up + remove sediment from the coast - use it erode landforms (abrasion) Explain waves as an input of energy in a coastal system. ANSWER: - Waves are driven by wind - Wave formation: The surface of sea exerts frictional drag on the lowest layer of the wind. Higher layers of the wind move faster over lower levels and fa